TOOLS & TECHNIQUES 35
We could build the most powerful speaker in the world, but if you can’t fit it in, it’s irrelevant. If you do it right, then it’s seamless
but it’s also got to cover the audience effectively,” he says. “Usually, an invisible loudspeaker system is the answer. We could build the most powerful speaker in the world, and it could ‘wow’ people, but if you can’t physically fit it in, it’s irrelevant. If you do it right, then it’s seamless. As you move around, the audience has no idea that there are loudspeakers in different zones or hidden in set pieces because they get consistency everywhere.” Spatial audio systems are one way to achieve this. “Sennheiser Spectera gives engineers far greater flexibility, allocating resources dynamically rather than treating each microphone or IEM as isolated,” says Davies. “It also suits immersive audio
used Spacemap. For us, it’s a built-in part of our toolset for spectacles. From day one, our algorithms were built for flexibility and for doing spatial in weird and wonderful spaces.” Meyer Sound recently supplied Europe’s first permanent Cirque show, “and that’s a full-on spectacle that uses a spatial PA system,” says Davies. “It’s a beautiful show as well – all the Cirque shows are. It’s a great piece of sound design, too. At the opposite end of the spectrum, we did an immersive art piece – Jewel – with very small loudspeakers, but audio was an intrinsic part of the experience. It was about the lighting, the visuals, the location, the art and the audio being added to it. It had to be discreet.” AUDIO AROUND THE WORLD Not every event or installation requires this sort of discretion. For example, with the Eurovision Song Contest, which is certainly its own class of spectacle, it’s hardly a concern. “Eurovision is one of the most technically demanding live
productions in the world, given the sheer number of artists, microphones, IEMs and rapid changeovers,” says Blight. “The biggest challenge isn’t adding effects – it’s delivering consistency. Every artist deserves to have the same confidence that their wireless system will perform flawlessly, no matter how complex the production becomes.” To pull off the latest Eurovision competition, “we relied heavily on Sennheiser Spectera for wireless, alongside supporting systems, with careful RF planning throughout the venue,” says Blight. “Sonoros let the team monitor audio from multiple locations – during final checks, engineers could confirm every transmitter was working correctly and assigned to the correct performer before they stepped on stage. SoundBase also helped maintain visibility over the wireless environment throughout rehearsals and broadcasts.” Meanwhile, Davies touts Coachella and the Montreux Jazz Festival for their spectacular stages – and their ability
capture, where phase coherence across microphones is critical for
accurate spatial imaging – especially for Ambisonic, surround and object- based techniques, where small timing differences can degrade localisation. With its low-latency transmission and remote monitoring, it’s a reliable platform that preserves natural depth and realism.” Immersive audio may be a buzzword, but “it’s absolutely nothing new,” says Davies. “It’s been more than 30 years since the first Cirque du Soleil show
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